Confection making machine



7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jrwwvtm:

HARVEY P. CURLEE June 1949- H. P. CURLEE CONFECTION MAKING MACHINE Filed April 11, 194 7 June 1949- H. P. CURLEE CONFECTIQN MAKING MACHINE '7 Sheeis-Sheet 2 Filed April 11, 1947' N QE awue/wtowt E HARVEY P. CURLEE June 7, 1949.

H. P. CURLEE CONFECTION MAKING MACHINE Filed April 11, 1947' 4 FIG'3 June 7, 1949. H. P. CURLEE 2,472,650

CONFECTION MAKING MACHINE I Filed April 11, 194% 7 Sheets Sheet 4 203 v 204 ,200 ,2o2,2o| F-IG '4 June 7, 1949. I gu 2,472,650

CONFECTION MAKING MACHINE Filed April 11, 1947 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 awn/Mon:

HARVEY P. CURLEE may June 7, 1949. p, CURLEE 2,472,650

CONFECTION MAKING MACHINE Filed April 11, 1947 I 7 Sheets-Sheet e awe/MM HARVEY P. CURLEE June 7, 1949.

H. P. CURLEE CONFECTION MAKING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Shet 7 FilecTApril 11, 1947 FIG-l4 Patented June 7, 1949 CONFECTION MAKING MACHINE Harvey P1,Gurlee;mear Charlotte, N. Application April 11;, 1941,; s'riaimi; 140354;

7 Claims (01591 -3 This invention relates to apparatus for depositin'g confectionery thing-s andthe like onto cakes? cookies andthe like! The apparatus embodies an endless conveyorhaving associated therewith a magazine divided intoa plurality of compartments in which the cakes; cookies; wafersandthelike are-deposited together'with a reciprocating plunger adapted to i remove the lowermost article from each of the compartments of the mag'azine and deposit them onto the endless conveyor. The endless conveyor is provided with a plurality of cross members, each having a-lip' or forwardly projecting portion and the-means for feeding the article from the magazines *are'so timed with themove= merit of the" conveyor that "the rear edge of' the articles fedfrom the-magazine will be-deposited' so that their rear lowerportionswill rest on the lfpandthei'r rear edges will rest against the'front surface of the" crosspiece;

Means are also' 'p'rovided for intermittentlymovin'g'th'e conveyoras the article's are deposited" fronrthe-magazinesonto the conveyor. Also, a plurality of wires" are disposed immediately be lowthe "conveyor and running longitudinally of 25 the conveyor which support the forward lower edges of thearticles and causes-a slight grooving effect on" the lower surfaces of the articles and. prevent-their lateralshifting relative-to thecon V eyOI;

A'hop'per-is disposed abovethe conveyor, and? is "provided with a plurality of nozzles extending from the lower ortion -thereofj and the hopper" is' fille'd with the confectionery filling; and means are providedier feedingthe confectionery filling fron'rthe lowerends of" the nozzles extendingdownwardly from thehopper.

Also; am'otion of translationis imparted to the hopper whereby it is moved longitudinally of the machine in the" sam'e direction as the endlessconveyor" toadvance the articles so that the streams of confectionery filling are deposited fromthe rearto the'fron't of the articles while the conveyorremainsstationary, and- -then there is an'elevating :movementapplied to the 'hoppei' so as to" attenuate a stream of confection'ery filling issuing from the'nozzles' associated with" the hopper; thus serving-to break the stream of --filling so that unused portions will not fall' onto theconveyor 01" through the conveyor.

As the streams of confctionery'filling have" reached the front edgesof the articles on which the filling is deposited, and the hopper is givenan elevated-motion, the-hopper is then -g-iven=a"- backwardamotion to thus serve to not o'nIy -bre the'streamfof' cenretibnery mlmggbut to lap themnosed-" ortion or the rmine extendin um wardlyffomthe rdrware-endr'or thecalses, cookies?- and-"'the use baek ontdthe previously denosit'e'dev filling; tnusvprovming "51* smooth deposit whic will not overlap theedges of the cakes; cookies; wafers and thelilsef- The arrangement oi the-wires extending longituumaily of me endl s 'ofnveyor n'otonly rey ='vent clogging oetnemraehme; but also allows broken "artils" and anysurplus'flll'ihg' to my; through the conveyor onto a. suitablepan and"- the like-i and thus prevehtsWhesesurplus"drop lets of any filll'ngirmaterial which might; not be? deposited "on the cakes,'j-' wafers and, the like from;

clogging? -e vyof"and' also"avoi ds any stickingwr *iamm ingrefleevdue to the smallness of the "Wire -elements; which are disposed imme dlatly below the" upper reach of the endless conveyor. I

Also, ifdesiredf there can he embodied in the, invention a"'*bi'ake'-*rnech'anism which includes yieldable arrangement disposed-for displacement during delivery "or thefilling} material from the hbpp'er' sothat the depositing-actionis reversed by recovery ofthewildable -'memberfollowing the"dpositinghperdtion so' asto' assist in breaking the strearrP0fTl1ling material: when suflicienv quantity bas man-deposited on awake and thelikeand when reversemovenient has been given some of the' obj'ects of *the invention having? been stated? ntherwbictnm appear as the de scription proceeds, when taken connectionwith the accompanylng 'drewings, in which Figure l is a "sid eljvation? ofth'e apparatus? Efgiire'zis a topi planviw-of the apparatus? Figure 3 is an isometric View of the lower portion' or-tnemsnhlnev oin'ittir'ig theendless con veyor: tliehopperf andbther parts I Figure 4 1s a vertical *sectfonal view" through" the-"honperg Figure' 'EiS- aiY elevation} with partsin" section, of oneendofthe hopber and showing the nozzles assoeiated -tn' rew ite;

ZP-lg'me' t "elevation of the confectionery; filling depositing hbmaer ifl its-'lnitial-positionof depositing-Whe-fllling ontb '-a"-cake;

Figure-=8 is a view similar wrigure'z, but ShOW mg the hopper atthe -end of "itsiorward move ment, and showing; it in raised position;

Figure 9"ls a 'view similar to Figure 8; but show ak 5.5; mg the hopper movihe rearwardlyafter having finished depositing the filling material onto a cake;

Figure is a view similar to Figure 9, but showing the hopper and conveyor in position ready for the beginning of the depositing of the confectionery filling on a subsequent cake;

Figure 11 is a modified form of the hopper mechanism showing brake means associated with one of the shafts;

Figure 12 is a vertical sectional view taken immediately behind the ratchet wheel shown in Figure 11;

Figure 13 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line I3-I3 in Figure 2;

Figure 14 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line I4-I4 in Figure 2;

Figure 15 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line I5-I5 in Figure 1;

Figure 16 is a sectional detail of the adjustable connection between wheel I3I and link I35.

Referring more specifically to the drawings,.the numerals I0, II, I2 and I3 indicate four upright posts of the framework of the machine and the posts I0 and I3 are joined together by-struts 9 and I5 and the posts I I and I 2 are joined together by struts 8 and I6. Resting on top of the posts I0 and I3 is an upper horizontal bar I1 and resting on top of the posts II and I2 is an upper horizontal bar I 8. The posts: I0 and II are also joined together by a strut I9, and posts I2 and I3 are joined together by a horizontal strut 20. One one end of the bars I1 and I8 are mounted blocks and 26 which support pillow blocks 21 and 28 in which a shaft 29 is rotatably mounted. This shaft has sprocket wheels 30 and 3I secured thereon on which sprocket chains 32 and 33 are mounted. The sprocket chains 32 and 33 are also mounted on sprocket wheels 35 and 36 which are fixedly secured on a shaft 31 rotatably mounted in bearings 38, only one of which is shown in the drawings in Figure 1-, but there is a similar hearing mounted on the lower side of bar I1, these bearings being secured to the lower side of the bars I1 and I8 and projecting downwardly.

The sprocket chains 32 and 33 are supported in their upper reach by bars 42 and 43- which are secured at one endto a cross-bar 44 and this end of the bars 42 and 43 are supported by upright supports 46 and 41 rising upwardly from the bars I3 and I1, respectively. The other ends of these bars 42 and 43 have secured between their ends abar 50, the bars 42 and 43 near the cross bar 50 being secured to the proximate surfaces of the bars I1 and I6. I

The cross bar 44 disposed at the left-hand end of Figures 1 and 2 has secured to its upper surface a plate 52 which projects out over and is bent downwardly over the shaft 29. .This plate 52 has a plurality of perforations therein through which one end of spaced wires 51 pass and these bars 44 being of steel have tapped holes therein and the ends of the Wires 51 are passed through the holes in the plate 52 and inserted in the tapped holes in bar 44 and a suitable screw 58 is threaded into each of these tapped holes to secure one end of thewires 51. The other end of the wires 51 are passed through a hole in a screw 60 which is tapped into suitable holes in the bar 50 and by turning the screws 60, the wires 51 can be wound around the screws 60 to tighten them like a banjo string, and when in tightened position, a suitable set screw 6I- can be driven home to hold the screws 60 in position. The purpose of these wires 51 is tosupport the forward end of a cake Wafer, c ook ie or the like, and to cause the front end of these edible pieces to be slightly grooved to prevent lateral movement of the forward end of the cookies as will be presently described.

Certain of the links of the sprocket chains 32 and 33 have ears 64 projecting inwardly to which is secured the ends of cross bars 61 and the plates 68, by means of bolts 69-, the plate 68 being substantially wider than the cross bar 61 to provide a ledge onto which the rear end of the cake, wafer or the like is adapted to rest while it is moved forwardly by the endless conveyor for purposes to be presently described.

The bars 42 and 43 are grooved as at H to provide a guideway for the sprocket chains 42 and 43. The right-hand end of the bars I 1 and I8 in Figures l and 2. have secured on their upper surfaces and extending across between the two bars I1 and I8, a wedge shaped plate 13 on which is slidably mounted an ejecting plate 14. Secured on the upper surfaces of the bars I1 and I8 are supports 15 and 16 which support a cross bar 11 to which is secured by any suitable means such as screws 18, a magazine having a plurality of compartments such as 8|, 82, 83, 84, and 86 which are adapted to hold a plurality of the cakes, cookies and the like designated at 81. The lower ends of the compartments ill to 86 inclusive are spaced from the ejecting plate 14 so that when the ejecting plate 14 is not in operation, the lowermost cake in each compartment will rest on the wedge shaped plate 13.

The expelling plate 14 has pivoted thereto links 90 and HI as at 92 and 93, the other end of said links being pivoted to the upper end of arms 84 and which are fixed on an oscillatable shaft 96 mounted in bearings 91 and 90 secured to the lower surfaces of the horizontal struts 8 and 9 disposed between the posts II and I2 and I0 and I3, respectively. This shaft 96 has secured thereto one end of an arm I00 which has a roller IOI in its other end which is adapted to follow the periphery of an eccentric cam I02 by means of tension springs I03 being secured to arms 94 and 95 and having their other ends secured to spring perches I04, which spring perches are fixed on the end of a shaft I06 which is anchored by means of suitable set screws not shown in the bearings I05 so that by using a suitable pipe wrench, the shaft I 06 can be slightly rotated to adjust the tension on the tension springs I03, and then the shaft I06 can be adjusted to position to hold this adjustment of the tension springs I03.

The eccentric cam I02 is fixed on a shaft IIO which is mounted in bearings III and H2 supported by the horizontal bars 8 and 9, respectively. This shaft IIO has a sprocket Wheel II3 secured thereon on which is mounted a sprocket chain II 4 which is also mounted on a sprocket wheel I I5 disposed on a shaft II6 projecting from a gear reduction housing II1 which gear reduction housing has a shaft extending therefrom with a V-pulley thereon on which is mounted a V-belt I20 which is also mounted on a V-pulley I2I on the motor shaft of an electric motor I22 supported on a plate I23 which plate also supports the gear reduction box II 1. This plate I23 is supported by angle bars I25 which are supported in turn by the horizontal struts I5 and I6.

The shaft IIO has mounted on the ends thereof discs I30 and I3I. The disc I3I has secured thereto a block I32 having a T-shaped groove I33 therein in which is slidably mounted a, bolt I34 (see Fig. 16) which bolt penetrates a link I35 and thebolt I34 has a nut I36 thereon by means bi -which the belt I 3 N can be sIiH 5 9416112the- T-shaped groove I33, and the nut driven hometo" thereby adjust the thi ow of the link I355" The link-135 is' ccnnected' tOthfldWfBfld bf a double securewon the other end arshaftfleahas links I43 "and lfl respeetiveiy" pivoted. "thereto; which liiiksfexterid' forwardiytwandtere "connected'to a retm'decl perti'en' 'onth'e' "efids of a squared shaft; I46 secured td'thef rear *surta-ee of a hopper." I41" by"anysuitab1e'meaes sucif'as screws 148? Also," cesium-ably .m'ounted'onithe'rcunded ends of the 11bmzonta1ib'ars-11 'andlfiif v M It. is. thus. seen thatzrotation"or shaaf I m wnr cause oscillation, of shaft 138% move the hopper NTYfOiiWandI? anare'arwaral'ii as. will be later Rising.upwiardlysftomt the bars I 1 and l 8 are sueponts'. I 55 "andsl 56 whicl i.- have pivoted thereto oneeridbf trackways. I5} and I5B'Qeach of which has: a groove I 59 therein for accommodatihg roIlers IGIf'on each" end 'of "a squared shaft I6I secured to thefiront suriacee of the -hopper I41 by apwsuitablemeans-such: as. screws I 62 Pivotedtq anintermediate portion-ofthe trackways I51and l58 al=e thauppen ends oflinks: I65 and JBE-whosew lowen ends -rest onxcrank arms;-

Ofl the upr-ig htimembers. 5| 2* ands I 3; is an 050111317.

I se m-away mouiited iri 1 suitable "bearings {"I 81' and! GII supporteE-IOY the horizontal struts '8 "and- This-sha-ft-IB6" a1s0has mounted thereon-a j sprocket'whefl seionwhi-ch a sprocket-chain I 9 I is mountemf said sprocket chain" extending upwardllir' and 'earwardli and bemgfmourit'ed 011 a? sp1'ocket"whee1' I 92"fiked'fori "one" end of shaft 2 9 whereby rotarym'otion in '"shaft l It! will oscillate lever I lfiwhich "williniove ratchet" wheel I 85 one step to thus" gtveaquick iritermittent movement to we "sprocket chains "al enate "of' ween-mess? conyeyorl TYii$1-he1iI 9fhas1 a nomcorrosive bottom;"preferably .l'of "brass" "and indi ated. "at z 195: In this b,ottom',, a..piiit'alitiifi'oi-ipockets I96 are milled out anathe lower 'endszioft each'ofCthse pockets meshswith-a, nezzle l 9.1: 'which'has an orifice I98 thioughlwhiehfthe coniectioriery fiH-ing! material isextruded' The nozzles IQ'I' are secured to me 2,47aeoo 205. This reverse rotation will impress a suction on the body of filling material extending from the orifice I98 at the lower end of the nozzles I91 and will have the effect of drawing the filling material back into the nozzles and thus intensify the force exerted to break the extending stream of filling material remaining at the end of a depositing operation.

The articles deposited with filling material at the depositing station, as described above, advance beyond this point with the continued intermittent actuation of the conveyor mechanism to the discharge end of the machine. Here the deposited articles may be transferred by any convenient means for further processing such as wrapping or packaging and the like.

As the articles 81 are transferred from the magazine onto the endless conveyor by means of the plate M, they are deposited on the lip 68 and with their rear ends abutting against the cross bars 61, and their forward ends rest on the wires 51 and the hopper I4! is operated so that filling material is distributed over the cakes 8'! during the intermittent rest of the conveyor. The endless conveyor is moved in step-by-step relation as already described, and while this endless conveyor is at rest, the hopper I 41 is also moving forwardly and when it has reached the forward limit of its movement, it is raised upwardly and reversed in direction and then the clutch mechanism shown in Figures 11 and 12, if present in the machine, would cause a reverse movement in the feeding mechanism to create a suction in the nozzles and assist in attenuating the filling material extending downwardly from the nozzles and assist in breaking it and thus the filling material will be doubled back slightly onto the previous filling material and thus a neat depositing will be effected.

, The manner in which this movement of the hopper I4! is carried out is shown progressively in the drawings. In Figure 6, the hopper I4! is shown at the beginning of the depositing operation just as actuation of the feeding gears 204 and 205 have begun their delivery of filling material through the orifice I98 onto the articles, which have been advanced to the position for depositing by the conveyor mechanism. The conveyor mechanism, as well as the article, such as cakes, wafers and the like indicated at 81, are at rest during the depositing operation, and distribution of the filling material over the surface of the articles is effected by the movement of the hopper through actuation of the link members I65 and I 66 and by the shifting rollers I60 on the trackways I51 and I 58.

In Figure 7 the hopper is shown near the end of its forward movement and in Figure 8 the forward movement has ceased, but in the meantime the links I65 and I66 have been moved upwardly to raise the hopper and thus elongate the stream of filling material issuing from the orifice I 98, and at this time, rearward movement of the hopper takes place as shown in Figure 9 to not only break the stream of filling material, but also to lap a portion thereof back onto the already deposited material. The hopper then moves back into the position shown in Figure 10 where it is ready for another depositing operation, after the conveyor has been advanced another step.

I In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation,

8 the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a depositing machine for delivering a confectionery filling on articles to be deposited, the combination with a conveyor mechanism for advancing said articles intermittently past a depositing station, of a depositing mechanism at said station comprising a hopper adapted to contain a supply of filling material, means for delivering said filling material from said hopper onto said articles during the intermittent rest at said depositing station, and means for moving of said hopper comprising a supporting means at one side of said hopper and associated means for actuating said support means for moving of said hopper in the direction of advancement of said articles during delivery of filling material, and for return of said hopper to starting position during the intermittent advance of said articles by said conveyor structure, and a guideway disposed in supporting relation at the opposite side of said hopper to accommodate said moving of the hopper, and associated means for shifting said guideway upwardly following delivery of filling material over the surface of said articles to displace said hopper and thereby break the body of filling material extending between said delivery means and said articles.

2. In a depositing machine for delivering a confectionery filling on articles to be deposited, the combination with a conveyor mechanism for advancing said articles intermittently past a depositing station, of a depositing mechanism at said station comprising a hopper adapted to contain a supply of filling material, means for delivering said filling material from said hopper onto said articles during the intermittent rest at said depositing station, and means for moving said hopper in the direction of advancement of said articles during delivery of filling material and While the articles are at rest, and for returning the hopper to starting position during the intermittent advance of said articles by said conveyor structure.

3. In a depositing machine for delivering a confectionery filling onto articles to be deposited, a depositing mechanism comprising a hopper adapted to contain a supply of said filling material, a plurality of orifices associated with said hopper for forming and directing a body of filling material onto said article, a pair of fluted, intermeshing, feed rolls arranged in relation to each of said orifices for delivering filling material from said hopper through said orifices, and a brake mechanism mounted for frictional resistance to rotation of said feed rolls in delivery direction, the mounting for said brake mechanism including a yieldable member disposed for displacement by the frictional resistance-to rotation of said feed rolls in delivery direction whereby a reverse rotation of said feed rolls is eifected following delivery of filling material by recovery of said yieldable member from said displacement.

4. A depositing machine comprising a conveyor mechanism for supporting articles, means for intermittently moving the conveyor, for advancing articles to be deposited intermittently past a depositing station, a hopper at said depositing station adapted to contain a supply of confectionery filling, means for delivering said filling material from said hopper onto said articles during the intermittent rest at said depositing station, means for moving said hopper in the direction of ad- 75 vancement of said articles and during delivery of filling material while the conveyor is at rest whereby the filling material is distributed over the surface of said articles, and means for raising said hopper following delivery of filling material over the surface of said articles and thereby break the body of filling material extending between said delivery means and said articles.

5. A depositing machine comprising a conveyor mechanism, means for moving intermittently said conveyor for advancing articles to be deposited intermittently past a depositing station, a hopper at said depositing station adapted to contain a supply of confectionery filling, means for delivering said filling materia1 from said hopper onto said articles during the intermittent rest at said depositing station, supporting means pivotally connected with said hopper at one side thereof, means for shifting said supporting means to thereby move said hopper relative to the articles during delivery of filling material to distribute said filling material over the surface of said articles, a guideway disposed in supporting relation at the opposite side of said hopper, and means for shifting said guideway following delivery of filling material over the surface of said articles to thereby displace said hopper to break the body of filling material extending between said delivery means and said articles.

6. A depositing machine comprising a hopper adapted to contain a supply of confectionery filling, means for supporting articles and intermittently moving same, means for delivering said filling from said hopper onto the articles while at rest, supporting means pivotally connected to said hopper at one side thereof, means for moving said supporting means and said hopper during delivery of filling material to distribute said filling material over the surface of said articles, a guideway disposed in supporting relation at the opposite side of said hopper, and means for shifting said guideway following delivery of filling material over the surface of said articles to thereby displace said hopper upwardly to break the body of filling material extending between said hopper and said articles.

7. In a depositing machine having a depositing mechanism for delivering a confectionery filling onto articles and having a conveyor for advancing the articles past the depositing mechanism, said depositing mechanism comprising a hopper adapted to contain a supply of filling, a gear pump for delivering said filling from the hopper onto the articles, means for imparting intermittent movement to the conveyor, means for actuating the gear pump intermittently, said gear pump comprising two spaced horizontally dis posed shafts with intermeshing gears mounted thereon, a brake arrangement mounted on one of the shafts, spring means for clamping the brake arrangement on the shaft, a second spring means for resiliently securing the brake to the gear box whereby the shaft has frictional movement caused by the brake arrangement during the delivery of said filling and also creates a pressure against the second spring means to thus give the brake and the shaft and gears associated therewith a slight backward motion at the end of the delivering operation which results in drawing back the filling into the hopper thus causing it to break cleanly at the end of each delivering operation.

HARVEY P. CURLEE.

REFERENCES CITED following references are of record in the this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS The file of 

